Cozy Fall Cocktails

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                                   Cozy Fall Cocktails

Our palates naturally change with the seasons, and although a lot of people associate rum drinks with sweet, fruity, tiki style cocktails, I think rum’s notes of molasses, vanilla, and baking spices lend perfectly for fall drinks.  I have listed below some of my personal favorites, all easy to make whether you are working from home or behind a bar!  I did not list specific rum brands because the world of rum is so incredibly diverse and complex.  A funky Jamaican rum vs. a rich Cuban style will both work, but will change the end result quite a bit.  Use what you love, but don’t be afraid to get creative with your choices.  

                                          Pumpkin Daiquiri

  • 2 oz. Aged Rum
  • 1 oz. Pumpkin Puree (use the canned stuff, its perfect!!)
  • *½ oz. Cinnamon Simple Syrup
  • 1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

Build these ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard.   Strain into a coupe or martini style glass and garnish with a dash of pumpkin spice. 

*Cinnamon simple syrup

In a saucepan, add 2 cups of raw sugar, 2 cups of water, and 2 cinnamon sticks.  

Heat on medium, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, for about 15 minutes.   Remove from heat and allow to fully cool before removing the cinnamon sticks. Refrigerate for up to one week.  

                                       Autumn Cider Punch

  • 1.5 oz. Dark Rum
  • 1 oz. Velvet Falernum
  • 2 oz. Fresh Apple Cider
  • 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients to a rocks glass, add ice and stir.   Garnish with diced red and green apples.  This can also be served hot and is a perfect cocktail to batch as a punch for a group!

Batch recipe for 20 cocktails:

  • 1 liter of Dark Rum 
  • 1 750 mL bottle of Velvet Falernum
  • 68 oz. Fresh Apple Cider
  • ½ oz. Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients into a large punch bowl and stir well.  Add slices of green and red apples and allow them to soak for one hour prior to serving. I also love the way cinnamon sticks or star anise look when they float in this punch.    

Pro tip:  Use a large container to freeze a chunk of ice that will fit into the punch bowl.   This will keep your punch cold but will not dilute it like small pieces of ice would.  You can also freeze pieces of apple, cinnamon sticks, etc. into the ice to make it look really festive.

                                         Hot Buttered Rum

No fall rum cocktail list would be complete without this one, it is one of my all-time favorites!

  • 1.5 oz. Aged Rum
  • *1 tablespoon of Hot Buttered Rum Batter
  • 4 oz. Hot Water

Add rum and batter to a coffee mug, then pour in very hot water, stirring to dissolve the butter.   Garnish this with a cinnamon stick. 

*Hot Buttered Rum Batter:

  • 4 sticks of softened, Salted Butter
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • ½ cup White Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Clove
  • ½ teaspoon Allspice
  • 1 teaspoon Orange Zest

I prefer to use a hand mixer to blend this, and then you can separate it into small portions and freeze it (so you can enjoy this cocktail any time, all winter!)  Make sure to take the pre-portioned amount out of the freezer and completely thaw until room temperature prior to using.  

Cris